Minnesota Poll: A majority doesn’t want gay marriage

Rabbi Michael Latz got a kiss from his daughter after speaking at a Feb. 27, 2013, press conference introducing a bill to legalize same-sex marriages in Minnesota. He was there with husband Michael Simon, center. Surrounded by same-sex couples and their children, Sen. Scott Dibble and Rep. Karen Clark introduced their bill.

Fifty-three percent of Minnesotans say the state statute banning same-sex unions should stand. Only 38 percent say legislators should overturn the law this year, while 9 percent are undecided.

The new poll offers a fresh snapshot of an issue that has deeply divided the state. It was just five months ago that Minnesotans rejected a proposal to put the ban into the state’s Constitution. Legislators now are considering bills that would make gay marriage legal.

House Speaker Paul Thissen said he found the poll results surprising, with stronger opposition than has been seen in other samplings.

“There have been a number of polls on the issue. The trend in general is moving toward acceptance of marriage equality,” said Thissen, a Minneapolis DFLer. “There will certainly be more conversation on this. Our members are talking to their constituents, which is more important than any poll.”

The poll of 800 Minnesotans, taken Feb. 25-27, shows that resistance is strongest in outstate Minnesota. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

“Gay marriage is not right, and that’s just all there is to it,” said Ed Carlson, 66, a retiree from the Potlatch paper company who lives in Brainerd. “I feel very strongly about it.”

The Twin Cities area remains the core of support for those who want to legalize same-sex marriage, with metro area suburban residents narrowly siding with those who want to change the law.

In Hennepin and Ramsey counties, 57 percent want the Legislature to allow same-sex marriage, with 35 percent saying the law should be left as is. Metro suburbs are more closely divided, with 46 percent favoring legalization and 44 percent who want the ban to stay.

Jackie Colwell, 46, an Edina homemaker, said she wants same-sex marriage legalized but does not want the issue to consume the Legislature and prevent progress on crucial issues like education and the budget.

“If it can be done quickly without a lot of bells and whistles, then they should absolutely do it,” Colwell said. “It’s time for same-sex marriage to be legalized. Minnesota is ready for it. I just don’t want it to become this circus atmosphere at the Capitol, though.”

The poll found that a clear majority of men — 64 percent — oppose changing the law, with 24 percent in support. Another 12 percent are undecided.

Dan Frump, of Buffalo, said gay and lesbian couples deserve some legal protections and possibly recognition, but not a union called marriage.

“For me, it’s a religious thing,” said Frump, 72, who is retired from Toro Co. “In France, there’s a legal marriage and a church marriage. That’s what we should have here. I totally think there should be some legal contract of some sort.”

Women are also divided, with 51 percent favoring a change in the law, compared with 43 percent who do not.

Younger Minnesotans are more likely to support legalizing gay marriage. Among those ages 18 to 34, more than half say the law should change, with 35 percent saying it should not.

Opposition to same-sex marriage grows as age increases, the poll found.